Growing Up Bilingual

Last week I got to spend some much needed quality time with my niece. She just turned three. You should also know that she’s being raised bilingual. My family is from Argentina and my sister-in-law’s family is from Colombia. Needless to say, they are not only teaching my niece two different languages, one of those languages, Spanish, could be argued as being two different languages or dialects. My niece, at the age of three, has the capability of understanding and responding to three different dictions: American English, Argentine Spanish and Colombian Spanish. It is a marvel to watch. She knows exactly what language to use depending on who her audience is. If she does not remember a word in the language she started using, she will quickly and most often effortlessly, insert the same word in the other language. She switches languages but keeps the structure of the language she is using. Nobody taught her that- it’s simply the way language develops.

I wanted to share this story because I often hear from our clients how hard it is to learn a new language and how quickly they can become intimidated by their peers or instructors if they (the learner) feel like they are not pronouncing the words correctly or using the appropriate vocabulary. I’d like to say to all of you, who feel this way (I used to as well), to think about my niece next time you’re in front of your foreign language instructor or international colleagues. It is not the goal of the instructor or your colleagues to judge you but it is their job to help you. If you show them that you’re making the effort, chances are you will be rewarded. You do not have to pronounce words perfectly and you do not always have to have the correct word for every sentence you create. Making mistakes can only enhance your learning experience.

On a side note, if you’re parents and live in a bilingual household, please don’t fret, your child will do just fine.